Being a landlord requires you to wear different hats at various times. Among other roles, property owners often have to play the part of a handyman. There are so many things that can go wrong in a rental making it hard for owners not to be hands-on.
Landlords have three options for how they approach a rental property’s maintenance issues.
- They can be completely hands-off landlords who prefer to outsource every repair and maintenance issue to a third-party.
- There can be completely hands-on landlords, who attempt to do all repairs by themselves.
- They can be a hybrid type of landlord, who fixes minor repairs and hires a professional to deal with significant issues.
Most landlords prefer this final approach. They can deal with small issues quickly and prevent them from escalating into significant expenses. And best of all, this approach allows the landlord to save a lot of money while allowing them time to do other things. For property owners who are just starting in the landlord-handyman role, here are the typical tasks they need to master.
Basic plumbing issues
The plumbing issues include; dripping faucets, leaky pipes, clogged toilets and drains, and running toilets. These are everyday problems that can happen in a rental.
Compared to the nuisance they cause, these problems are relatively easy to fix. In the case of dripping faucets and running toilets, it takes two steps. First, shut-off the water supply from the valve or mains and then dismantle the drain or toilet.
Usually, the cause of the problem is a worn washer, gasket or displaced component. Merely replacing the damaged part or securing the loose component will solve the problem. If you are dealing with a clogged drain, a plunger or drain snake will usually suffice to solve the problem.
Troubleshooting Appliances
Common reasons why appliances fail to work are blown fuses, internal obstructions and broken drive belts. Before you ask a professional to look at a refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, or other appliance, check for these faults.
Devices look more complicated than they are. The user’s manual for the tool will frequently contain useful information that can help you diagnose and solve the problem. In the absence of a user’s manual, you will find several YouTube videos that are equally or even more effective.
HVAC Maintenance
HVAC systems will break down or start to lose their efficiency. Sometimes these happen at the most inconvenient times, when getting an HVAC pro to look at it is near- impossible or very costly.
You can avoid having such situations by learning to carry out routine maintenance on your HVAC system. Things like changing filters or thermocouples or heat sensors; lubricating fans and cleaning refrigeration coils are not that hard to do.
Learning how to do these things will help you keep the furnace and AC working at their best in all seasons of the year. Another easy DIY job is ceiling fan installation and cleaning.
Pest Control
Keeping bugs and rodents out of rental property requires daily effort. Even if a landlord does monthly exterminations, it is not enough to keep the property pest-free. Since a significant part of pest-control is inspection, property owners must know where to look and how to detect the early signs of infestation.
They should also be aware of human habits and behavior that permit pest-infestation. Also, they will save themselves money and time by being able to identify different pests to apply the right eradication methods to them.
Basic Roof Repair
Water damage is one of the biggest problems landlords have to handle. Allowing this issue to the care of professionals is not advised. Water damage to a property often starts as damage to a property’s roof.
Roof and gutter damage will easily result when the debris is cleared poorly, hangars are not correctly adjusted, and sealing joints are not caulked. Even though cleaning the gutters is not difficult at all, it is often overlooked because the problem is usually out of sight. Another roof maintenance job that is easy to do is fixing minor roof leaks with roofing tar and caulk.
Repainting and Retouching
It is probably the most popular DIY task among landlords. It is not incredibly hard to do, and it can even be fun finding the best color for your property. It is not recommended that landlords paint the entire exterior and interior of the house by themselves.
But they should be able to undertake repainting and retouching projects on their own. These are routine tasks property owners have to do every time a tenant moves out of a property.
Basic Roof Repair
Water damage is one of the biggest problems landlords have to handle. Allowing this issue to the care of professionals is not advised. Water damage to a property often starts as damage to a property’s roof.
Roof and gutter damage will easily result when the debris is cleared poorly, hangars are not correctly adjusted, and sealing joints are not caulked. Even though cleaning the gutters is not difficult at all, it is often overlooked because the problem is usually out of sight. Another roof maintenance job that is easy to do is fixing minor roof leaks with roofing tar and caulk.
